Johnny Lee Wilson Pt. One

April 13, 1986. Aurora, Missouri. The charred body of 79-year old Pauline Martz is found inside her burning home. Within days, Johnny Lee Wilson, a 20-year old local resident with a mental disability, confesses to the crime and is charged with murder, and after entering an Alford plea, he receives a life sentence. However, Johnny’s supporters argue that his confession was coerced by police and a convicted criminal named Chris Brownfield eventually claims that he and an accomplice were the real perpetrators of the crime. After serving nine years in prison, Johnny receives a pardon from the governor of Missouri and is finally released, but no one else is ever charged with Pauline Martz’s murder. For our next series on “The Path Went Chilly”, Jules and Robin discuss an horrific case of injustice which was featured as a “Final Appeal” segment on “Unsolved Mysteries”.